Securing device for vehicles



May 31, 1932- A. N. EERGER ET AL SECURING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES Filed Nov. 21, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIC-71 I.

' WITNESSES: H vINVZI/STOR: t

g 10g/511151176710 w w ORNEYS. l

May 31, 1932.- A. N. BERGER ET AL 1,860,565

SECURING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES Filed Nov. 21, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 2 Z? I C7 1 WITNESSES: J I N V EN TOR:

Patented May 31, 1932 STATES LALGJYSIIUSJlNICHDLBLSLZBEBGER. AND PAULr SEEL, OF' ALTOONA,1 :PENNSYJVTANI'A sncURINeLDEVIcE For.. VEHIcLns .appresaien mea November 21, 1931. serial No. 576,502.

` "Qur inventionrelates 'particularly'tomeans forsecuringthewheel's of age/vehicle, 'such as an automobile, to the floor of a freight car, Y.. or other 'type' of'carrier on; which the vehicle ll4 istransported,iin order that'the vehicle may be'maintainedin a fixedL positionon the carrier'flbor, "regardlessofthe sudden stopping or.- startingvm ofthe carrier. v 'rreobjjectfof our'invention'isto 4*provide 10 ase'curingf device V`for vehicles vin vtransit yincluding anchorage members, Which when not inuse arel'a'daptedto drop by lgravity'tostored positions inthe floor ofacarrier, and which When'so dropped Will leave the ioor of the f5 carrier substantially unobstructed, and' yet With "the anchorage members ready for use Without further preparation.

Another object is to provide a securing device ofthis nature Which is adaptedwithoutchange in, equipment to kaccommodate vehicles having Wheelibases of diii'erent' length.

Further objects and.' advantages characteristie ofour invention Will become apparent 2' from the descr-iptionhereinafter of severalv 5. A

embodiments or examples thereof, the descriptionhaving reference to the accompanying drawings. fthedrawings:

Fig. I"y representsa perspective vie-W of an Y automobilesecured' to a freightcar floor by meansv ofa Wheel securing device embodying our invention. Y

Fig. II represents.v a fragmentaryV perspective view of the front end of an automobile to :which a modified "for-m ofvvheel securing-k v'Fig. 'IV representsa longitudinal'cross sec-,fY

tion .of agportion ofthefioor, talen'as: indicatedvv by thelines IVL-'IVY ofFig. III andY F showing the ybolt dropped down in the de- 4"" pressionin the treadplate; and, f

aportion ofthe floor, taken as indicated by Y the .lines V-V' of Fig. lll. Y

' "lnthe drawings, the floor 'or platform of a im freight car is designated at 1, and upon the JF Yrepresentsga longitudinalsection of top surface of this-floor or platform tread plates 2 arefastened and-spaced apart tofcor-l respond to the tread Width ofthe automobiles to ybe transported. At the underside ofthe floor or platform'Ljas yindicated inFig. III, 65 reinforcing plates?) are `fastened' in positions opposite to the tread plates 2 by means'of through bolts 4 With their'heads countersunkf in the tread plates, ,piercingboth'thei tread plates 2 and the reinforcing plates 3.

, -Bothithe tread plates 2 and thereinforcing plates 3 Iare perforated at spaced intervals, throughout their length as atl 5, thefholesbelng arranged in double rows. 'Within :the holes V5 anchoragemembers 6 in the form of 35i lil-bolts are inserted, the-anchorage members' being so spaced, Vas indicated in Fig. l, as'to. accommodate vehiclesehaving Wheel bases ofI different length. Adjacentjt'o-feach pair,y of' l holes 5 in thertreadplates 2, depressions v7 are 70 formedin the tread plates, Whichdepressions accommodate theA shank portions 8 of the U-boltsvvhen they; are 'not in use. Accordingly, each .U-bolt 6 is adapted'to dropbyV gravityinto a depression 7 to aposition inA 5 which the-floorofthe carrier'is .unobstructed and in which the top y surface of the U-bolty is flush with .the floor. At'the central portion of each depression? inthe treadplates 2, a longitudinal cavityj9 isformed, as shown 80; in'Fig. IV, to allow the Uebolt there seated to be conveniently graspedlby' the hand,s0" that it maybe lifted from dropped position to anelevated position abovethe tread plate.--

Nuts 10enga'ging the ends oftheUL-'bolts vbe- 85" Y neathk the 'carrier floorA determine theeXte'ntv tovvhich the shank portionsof theUebolts` may be raised above the tready plates. y

Wheel securing. membersl Which` cooperate With theU-bolts 6to effect aifvvhfeel block, yare .90",

comprehensivelyA designated atv 11. These Wheel securing members 11,.v as shown inFig.l

I, include tire guides 12. which ar-ead'apted.

toy be spaced at intervalsV around the circuniferencejof the front andfrear Wheels 13v ofl 95;, the vehicle, and straps 14 .in the formy of fiat bands which pass through the tie guides 12 and around the shank portion 8 of certain of thelU-bolts 6, the selection of the particular Ubolts 6 to be employedbeing',determined by 109 the wheel base of the particular vehicle which is being transported. The straps 14 at the front end ofthe vehicle extend from the front wheels 13 to the anchorage members 6 in the opposite direction from that in which the straps at the rear end of the Vehicle extend from the rearL Wheels to the anchorage members, thus veffecting a Wheel block preventing movement of the vehicle With respect to the carrier floor.

The tire guides 12 preferably comprise U-shaped metal strips disposed transversely to thek Wheels and iitting over the tires with the straps 14 passing through slots 15 therein. Each strap 14 encircles a Wheel 13 and forms a closed loop tautly drawn about the Wheel and the corresponding anchorage member 6. To tie the ends 16 of the straps 14 together, we preferably employ means such as the mechanical sea-ls shown'at 17, which,

when the straps have been stretched about the wheelsl, are punched as indicated at 18 so as to compress the ends together.

An alternate form of Wheel securing means is indicated at n@ in Fig. in. in this @X- ample, the strap comprises a pair of Wires 14a drawn through slots 15a in tire guides 12a. The wires 14a pass around the shank portions 8 of the U-bolts 6 and have their ends 16a coiled around each other in such manner as to form tautly drawn loops.

The operation of the securing device of our invention will be readily understood from the above description. It is to be noted that the c provision of anchorage members at regular spaced intervalsy along the tread plates permits a selection of points of anchorage so that automobiles of different Wheel bases may be accommodated on the carrier Without change in the equipment used yfor securing them to the floor. Moreover, the provision of parallel tread plates at the top of the oor, together with similar reinforcing plates at the underside of the floor, materially reduces c wear and results in other obvious advantages with regard to the maintenance of the anchorage members in proper Working order.

' ,While We have described in some detail one form or embodiment which this invention ma-ytake, it will be apparent, especially to those skilled in the art, that various changes may bemade in the form of vehicle securing device herein described and illustrated without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A securing device for use in transporting vehicles comprising tread plates fastened to the platform of a carrier, anchorage members mounted on said tread plates, said anchorage members dropping into depressionsy in said tread plates when not in use, and wheel securing members adapted to pass around front yand rear Wheels of the vehicle to be transported and to extend in opposite directions to said anchorage members to effect a Wheel block.

2. A securing device for use in transporting vehicles comprising parallel tread plates fastened to the platform of a carrier and spaced apart to correspond to the tread Width of the vehicle to be transported, anchorage members attached to said tread plates at intervals therealong to accommodate vehicles having wheel bases of diferent length, said anchorage members dropping into depressions in said tread plates when not in use, and Wheel securing members adapted to pass around front and rear Wheels of the vehicle and to extend in opposite directions to certain of said anchorage members to effect. a Wheel block.

3. A securing device for use in transporting vehicles comprisin tread plates perforated at intervals and aving cavities adjacent to the perforations, said tread plates being fastened to the platform of the carrier, U-bolts passing through the perforations in said tread plates, said U-bolts dropping into said cavities when not in use, and said cavities being formed to allow the U-bolts to be conveniently grasped by the hand wheny so dropped, and Wheel securing straps adapted to encircle front and rear wheels of the vehicle to be transported, and to extend in opposite directions to said U-bolts to effect a Wheel block. l 4. A securing device for use in transporting vehicles comprising perforated tread plates fastened to the top surface of the platform of the carrier and spaced'apart to correspond to the tread Width of the vehicles to be transported, reinforcin plates fastened to the underside of the plat orm opposite said tread plates, U-bolts piercing said tread plates and reinforcing plates, said U-bolts droppin into ydepressions in said tread plates W en not in use, and Wheel securing straps adapted to encircle front and rear Wheels of the vehicle to be transported and to extend in opposite directions to said U- bolts to effect a Wheel block.

5. A securing devicefor use in transporting vehicles com rising tread plates fastenedV to the plat orm of a carrier, U-bolts mounted on said tread` plates', said U-boltsl dropping down into depressions in said tread plates when not in use, and wheel securing llll members including tire guides adapted to be spaced at intervals around the circumference of the front and rear Wheels of the vehicle to be transported, bands passing through said tire guides and around said U-bolts7 and means for tying the ends of said bands together to form tautly drawn loops around said Wheels.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto signed our names at Altoona, Pennsylvania,

this 13th day of November, 1931.

ALOYDIUS NICHOLAS BERGER. PAUL SEEL. 

